1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to administration of intravenous (IV) fluid. In particular, the present invention is an IV administration system which supplies multiple IV solutions or medications at predetermined intervals to a patient.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is quite common in IV therapy to give a patient a primary solution and one or more secondary solutions or medications. The secondary (or "piggyback") medication is usually given several times a day. An example is when a patient is on antibiotics. It is desirable to have an IV pump and a sequencing valve that administers the primary and secondary solutions sequentially.
In the past, there have been IV pump systems which allow two fluids to be administered. In these systems, the secondary medication is pumped until the secondary container goes empty, and then the pump switches to the primary fluid. An example of this type of system is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,451,255. This proves to be a substantial burden to hospital personnel, particularly where the secondary medication is required several times a day. With the prior art systems, the medical personnel must change secondary medication bags several times each day.